THE GAME STORY: It's all about options for the Hawkeyes

Everyone gets involved in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee State.

Jeffrey Becker/USA Today Sports

IOWA CITY — He slept about as soundly as he could the night before a game.

“Fairly well,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz quipped. “Not too bad.”

Here was the concern — the Hawkeyes were coming off a bye week, were two weeks removed from a difficult one-point win at rival Iowa State, and oh yeah, there’s that road trip to Michigan next week.

Middle Tennessee State was in town, there was a game to be played.

So, about last night...

“Last night wasn’t a problem,” Ferentz said. “But then you’re still anxious about how you’re going to play.

“But I thought our guys came out and played good.”

Better than that, actually.

Saturday’s 48-3 victory at Kinnick Stadium was all about options for the 14th-ranked Hawkeyes.

“Bottom line is, I think our guys showed up ready,” Ferentz said.

Well, yeah.

You don’t get to 4-0 like the Hawkeyes with just one playmaker. This has been a constant combination of personalities that seem to be perfect fits, and this game was no different.

Everyone, it seemed, got involved.

Brandon Smith caught two touchdown passes. Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a touchdown run. Fullback Brady Ross had the first touchdown of his career — a 1-yard plunge in the second quarter.

And when backup Spencer Petras piled into the end zone on a quarterback sneak on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, the domination was complete.

The Hawkeyes had 644 yards of total offense, the most in Ferentz’s 21 seasons as head coach.

“It’s great to have a balanced offense, when you can run the ball, throw the ball,” Smith said. “It makes you unstoppable as an offense.”

“It was nice to have a steady game,” said quarterback Nate Stanley, who threw for 276 yards and still doesn’t have an interception this season.

“We’re playing pretty clean football right now,” Ferentz said.

Let's check in on @HawkeyeFootball.@_BSmith12 would not be denied the end zone, and he makes it 41-3. pic.twitter.com/fmf56x7BxD

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 28, 2019

That cleanliness swept away the Blue Raiders (1-3), who only got a Crews Holt third-quarter field goal for their points.

“Every win is a big win for us,” said defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon, who had seven tackles, including 2 ½ for loss. “You celebrate, and then it builds.”

The Hawkeyes held the Blue Raiders to just 216 yards of offense and 12 first downs.

Iowa kept MTSU quarterback Asher O’Hara contained, holding him to just 33 yards rushing and 110 yards passing.

Bye weeks, Ferentz said, have their own special concerns. Not every one is the same.

“You’re never quite sure what formula, and we’ve had them just about since I’ve been here, and I’ve got files,” Ferentz said. ““Any time you come off a bye week, that’s something you’re always anxious about. And you never quite have the right answer on that. But the guys handled that well.”

This was perfect chemistry.

Toren Young rushed for 131 yards on just 11 carries, part of a 351-yard rushing day for the Hawkeyes. Tyler Goodson had 97 yards and Mekhi Sargent added 91.

Smith had six catches for 71 yards, while Smith-Marsette had four for 60 yards. The Hawkeyes threw for 293 yards.

Iowa scored on its first four possessions and its last four possessions. There were some struggles in between those scoring drives, but this was a show the Hawkeyes needed heading into next week’s game against the Wolverines.

“Just looking forward to next week,” said defensive tackle Cedrick Lattimore. “It’ll be all right.”

The September part of Iowa’s schedule has come and gone. The first bye week is out of the way.

For now, the coach can sleep well.

“I’d feel better today the way we were playing than I would have if we had gone out there and kind of stumbled around,” Ferentz said. “The biggest thing is our team has been working hard and if we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”